Lawmakers Probe N5.8bn Abandoned Niger Port

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the abandonment of Baro Port in Niger State 19 months after President Muhammadu Buhari, inaugurated the facility.

The port was said to have been constructed with N5.8bn.

A member of the House from the state, Mr Abdullahi Mamudu, at the plenary on Tuesday, moved a motion entitled, ‘Urgent Need to Investigate the Abandonment of Baro Port 19 Months After Commissioning.’

Following the unanimous adoption of the motion, the House mandated the committees on Land Transport, Ports and Harbour, Works and Housing, and Ecological Fund to conduct an investigative hearing into the issue.

The committees are to also initiate a process that would ensure removal of bottlenecks stalling operations at the port.

Also, the lawmakers urged the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to provide access road to the port.

They also called on the Federal Ministry of Transportation to release the timeline and schedule of completion of both the port and the rail transportation components.

Moving the motion, Mamudu explained that the port was located in Agaie Local Government Area of Niger State, approximately 650km up River Niger at the limit of river navigation, subject to dredging.

Meanwhile, the House, also on Tuesday, resolved to investigate the Nigerian Exports Supervision Scheme Fund, alleging that the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria had been spending from it without appropriation by the National Assembly.

A member, Abdullahi Abdulkadir, had moved a motion to investigate the scheme.

While the motion was unanimously adopted, the House mandated its Committee on Public Accounts to investigate the alleged illegality and report back within four weeks.